unlock
Americanverb (used with object)
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to undo the lock of (a door, chest, etc.), especially with a key.
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to open or release by or as if by undoing a lock.
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to open (anything firmly closed or joined).
to unlock the jaws.
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to lay open; disclose.
to unlock the secrets of one's heart.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to unfasten (a lock, door, etc)
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(tr) to open, release, or let loose
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(tr) to disclose or provide the key to
unlock a puzzle
-
(intr) to become unlocked
Other Word Forms
- unlockable adjective
Etymology
Origin of unlock
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Mastering phonons could unlock entirely new capabilities, including access to unusual quantum effects such as entanglement.
From Science Daily
His body was found inside the unlocked SUV three days later when Wenrick told the fleet maintenance crew to take the patrol cars to get washed.
From Los Angeles Times
The new facilities in Port Talbot will help unlock at least 4.5 GW of new generating capacity - enough to power about 6.5 million homes - and follows last year's seabed leasing round in the Celtic Sea.
From BBC
“This transaction is the culmination of the Board’s robust process to unlock the full value of our world-class portfolio,” Warner Bros.
From Los Angeles Times
According to the WTO, the C-4+ countries would need to attract $12 billion in investments over 10 years to unlock the sector's full potential.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
